Society

7:26 am

Mon April 22, 2013

Quinn Continues Tour of Flooded Illinois Areas

Gov. Pat Quinn is touring areas hit hard by the floods and has declared 44 Illinois counties as disaster areas.

The designation means expanded access to emergency resources. Sunday, Quinn visited Marseilles, where more than 200 people have been evacuated along with 60 nursing home residents. An elementary school has also been closed.

Quinn's stops also included Ottawa and North Utica. He's been touring communities affected by flooding since Thursday. He says he's seen some of the worst destruction caused by flooding.

Heavy rains have swollen many rivers and streams across Illinois to record or near record levels. Some areas are getting worse because water levels continue to rise, especially in communities along the Illinois River and its tributaries.